


More Than Friends

by nicolai



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Developing Relationship, Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin) Has OCD, Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin) and Cleaning, Other, Platonic Cuddling, Polyamory, Polyamory Negotiations, Queerplatonic Relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-17
Updated: 2016-02-19
Packaged: 2018-05-21 07:20:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,462
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6043021
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nicolai/pseuds/nicolai
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hanji introduces Levi to the idea of queerplatonic relationships and suggests they have one.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Levi is stated to have OCD in this work and there is some reference to contamination fears. Pronouns are deliberately not used for Hanji to respect a unique gender identity.

“Levi?” 

Hanji’s voice broke through his mental planning and though it wasn’t exactly unwelcome, he didn’t bother with attempting a smile as he looked up at his rather talkative friend, “What?”

“Did I interrupt your brain cleaning again?” Hanji giggled, “Er, I mean how you clean in your head… Not like you’re cleaning your brain, but thinking about your cleaning, like, outside your head. None of that came out right. Did I interrupt your rumination and mental ritual associated with your OCD-related cleaning?”

“Yes, but what do you want?” Levi raised an eyebrow. 

“Sorry. You always act like I’m bothering you though, even though you’re the one who’s in my room and lying here with your head in my lap.” 

“I don’t always act like that, Shitty-Glasses. If you bothered me that much, I wouldn’t talk to you,” Levi shrugged, turning his attention back to his strategizing: if he started with the bathrooms, everything would seem easier after, but then he might worry about spreading any residual filth, so maybe it was better to do them last. 

“Good point. Levi, I think we might want to be more than friends!” Hanji blurted out, “But probably not romantic partners. Well, unless you feel that way, but I don’t think you do since that’s how you feel about Erwin and I’ve noticed you definitely aren’t attracted to me the same way as you are to him. But you do feel closer to me than other people and I think there’s more emotional intimacy than there is with friends.”

Levi had started to answer after the first comment, but as Hanji launched into an explanation, he decided to wait it out before responding. His initial objection- that he was in a relationship with Erwin and certainly didn’t feel the same things for each of them- was answered before he had to raise it. Nothing was untrue with what Hanji said, but he was rather confused at how to proceed with that idea. Was there a way to be more than friends without being romantically involved?

“Okay, you’re not wrong…” he shrugged, brow furrowing a bit as he continued to think about it, “But, how can you be more than friends without dating? Isn’t that what “more than friends” means?”

“Oh, well, I see why you think that, Levi, but no!” Hanji grinned, delighted to share the knowledge, “Relationships can be all sorts of things and you get to decide what they include. One way to be more than friends while lacking romantic attraction is to be queerplatonic partners!”

A blink and sigh, Hanji was always coming up with strange ideas- though usually about titans, so maybe this was an improvement, “To be what? What does that mean?” Levi gave the expected prompt for the overzealous scientist to continue.   
“Queerplatonic is sort of what it sounds like. Platonic means not romantic or not sexual usually, and queer means different and has the idea of something being a deviation from heterosexual. Queerplatonic relationships have emotional intimacy and commitment, and then anything that the partners agree they should! Sometimes there’s sex, sometimes there’s cuddles, sometimes there’s anything they want! It’s all very self determined and focused on what the couple wants because-” Hanji paused for dramatic effect, “There is no social script for it! We can make it anything we want!”

Levi nodded; that actually sounded pretty nice. He thought of himself and Hanji as a sort of set, similar to how he thought about Erwin, so commitment to that sounded like a good thing. And he did enjoy being more physical with Hanji than he was comfortable with being with any other friend. There didn’t seem to be anything wrong. But, should he have another partner?

“Isn’t that not fair to Erwin or something? If you’re together with someone, shouldn’t you be with only them?” he asked; he’d not given this idea much thought, but he did see most couples only be intimate with each other- unless it was in secret and clearly a violation of trust. 

“That depends on your relationship. Sometimes people practice polyamory. That means having multiple partners where everyone knows and consents. Have you talked with Erwin about being exclusive?” Hanji explained, seeing why that was a potential issue. 

“No,” Levi shrugged, “We don’t talk much about our relationship. We’re both busy. I guess we should though, if that’s a thing people do.”

Hanji laughed a bit before leaning down and kissing Levi’s forehead, “It’s always good to talk about what you want in a relationship, but it doesn’t always come up naturally. Just talk next time you see him and then, if you guys decide that having other partners, specifically a queerplatonic one, is right for your relationship, then we’ll talk about us, okay? I’m happy to be your best friend instead!”

Levi wiped the kissed spot with the back of his hand, he didn’t object to being kissed, if he did, Hanji wouldn’t do it, but, even if there wasn’t moisture, the idea of spit staying on him made him uncomfortable .Hanji was well aware of his feelings and didn’t take it personally. 

“Okay, thanks Hanji,” he turned and nuzzled slighting into his friend’s stomach; Hanji’s clothes still smelled like soap, having been washed that day, and that was pleasant, “Do you think I should clean the bathrooms first or last tomorrow?”

“You debate on it every time, Levi,” Hanji laughed, “I think last is good this time. You did first last time.”


	2. Chapter 2

“Erwin?” Levi asked, coming into the commander’s office, he saw the blond man pouring over some papers scattered on a desk near a flickering candle. 

Erwin glanced up, swept the papers into a stack, “What do you need?” clearly giving Levi his full attention. 

“I wanted to talk about us. It’s weird. But Shitty Glasses mentioned something, so,” he shrugged, crossing the room to grab a broom and start tidying while they talked. 

Erwin declined to comment on Levi’s cleaning and on the nickname for Hanji and leaned back in his chair, “What about us?” he hadn’t really given the idea much thought. Obviously they had a relationship, they found themselves in each other’s beds more often than not, and Levi was certainly incredibly attached to him. That feeling was mutual, though they expressed it differently. All the trappings of a serious relationship, but they hadn’t talked much about it. It had fallen into place. 

“Are we exclusive?” Levi was blunt, though clearly considering it somewhat default for Erwin to be the one to make that decision, he didn’t look up from the dustpan, neatly sweeping debris and filth from under the desk- heavy foot traffic on rainy days tracked in copious amounts of mud, which Erwin hadn’t had time to address. 

Erwin frowned slightly. He hadn’t been with anyone else, and he’d assumed Levi hadn’t either. He wouldn’t be angry if that was the case though, they hadn’t agreed on anything. He didn’t much like the idea of sharing Levi with anyone, he felt responsible for him and perhaps a bit possessive. But if this was about Hanji, that was something he could decently get behind. They didn’t have all the extra time in the world to have relationships, but they were generally together anyway. And Hanji was someone he definitely respected. Perhaps overzealous and reckless, but brilliant and fun. He’d known they were friends of course-

“Erwin?” Levi asked, looking over at him; the prolonged silence was strange. 

“Well, I assumed we were,” Erwin replied, stretching, “But if you don’t want to be, that might be okay with me. Hanji?” 

“Yeah, but not romantic. Something weird. It’s called being queerplatonic,” Levi shrugged. 

Erwin raised an eyebrow- he’d never heard of anything like that. 

“Basically it means like you’re more than friends, but not in love or dating or anything. Hanji said it could be whatever the people wanted. And that I should ask if we were exclusive,” Levi finished cleaning and sat opposite Erwin. 

Erwin nodded slowly, “Okay, I don’t think I really get it. Does that mean you’d be having sex? Or what? Exactly?”

Levi shrugged, “I don’t know. Maybe.”

Erwin, “Should I just talk to Hanji?”

Levi nodded, “Yeah, that’s probably best. Is it okay if we do though?”

“Yeah, I’m comfortable with you doing whatever with Hanji,” he nodded, “I don’t really want to be with anyone else. And I don’t think I want you with most people. If that’s okay. But Hanji’s fine.”

“So, we aren’t exclusive, but we should talk before we do anything with other people?” Levi asked for clarification, rather pleased with that answer; he certainly didn’t want to be with most people, at all. 

“Right, sounds good to me,” Erwin nodded, refocusing on the papers on his desk.


End file.
